Sustainable Sourcing and Responsible Sourcing Manager at LIPTON Teas and Infusions

As the Sustainability sourcing and responsible sourcing Lead of the Lipton Business, the primary focus of this role is to co-create, lead and implement sustainable sourcing strategies aligned with corporate ESG goals and regulatory frameworks, to progress lowering environmental footprint whilst increasing the social positive impact and create values to all in tea supply chain. You must work seamlessly within Procurement team and internal stakeholders to set up sustainability framework, support ESG roadmap and compliance. Networking with external stakeholders is an anchor to be succeeded for the role. You will manage the team to implement the overall tea sustainability practices and responsible sourcing agenda.

The role is to manage direct reports of 1-2 people and manage indirectly 10 procurement sourcing team members.

Your Key Tasks:

• Strategy Development & Implementation
• Co-create and implement sustainable sourcing strategies and responsible sourcing policy that aligned with corporate ESG goals and regulatory frameworks.
• Focus on key raw materials and key origins to reduce environmental and social impact.
• Set inspirational targets for sustainability and responsible sourcing scorecard
• Apply commercial acumen to form recommendations.
• Recruit and develop team member
• Supplier Engagement & Performance
• Lead engagement with global and regional suppliers to: embed sustainability requirements (e.g., human rights practices, incomes, GHG emissions, land used).
• Improve supplier practices through co-creating the standards (if it is not available), training, and continuous improvement programs.
• Implement the standards, policies and monitor compliance.
• Drive agenda, plan and actions for Zero herbicide used, Zero Gender violence and decent living wages and incomes.
• Compliance & Risk Management
• Identify and mitigate environmental, social, and ethical risks in the supply chain (e.g., child labor, deforestation, carbon footprint).
• Manage third-party audit programs and assessment platform (e.g., Sedex/SMETA, Rainforest Alliance, EiQ tool).
• Ensure alignment with due diligence legislation (e.g., EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, CSRD).

Internal & External Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner with internal departments (procurement, legal, CSR, marketing, R&I) to integrate sustainability and responsible sourcing across operations.
• Collaborate with third party audit firms and certification bodies.
• Drive agendas on establishing traceability in our end-to-end Value chain and ensuring engagements and actions for decarbonization/Net Zero roadmap of scope 3.
• Report on sustainability performance to leadership team and RS board members
• Provide supporting information to market units.Data, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
• Develop KPIs and track performance of sustainable sourcing and responsible sourcing programs.
• Ensure transparent, accurate sustainability reporting (e.g., ESG, CSRD reports).
• Lead innovation and continuous improvement initiatives in sourcing practices (e.g., regenerative agriculture pilots, living wages and living incomes pilots).
• Create inspirational, realistic, and achievable roadmap and establish regular communication to Procurement team.
• Benchmark goals, targets and budget with industrial peers in Beverage segment.

Skills and Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in sourcing strategy development or sustainable sourcing, responsible sourcing management. You possess strong academic record, with minimum bachelor’s degree in business administration, economics/econometrics, or engineering, and are eager to make a positive impact.
• Excellence in managing and measuring work.
• Action oriented and Drive for results
• Agile communication
• Influencing without authority
• Complex challenge management
• Towering strength in stakeholder engagement and holding people accountable.
• Self initiative
• Skillful in Change management
• Good Business Acumen
• Language Requirement: Proficiency in English communication.